Lokpal upshot: Government officials to divulge their assets

New Delhi: Resorting to mandatory obligation under the Lokpal Act, Narendra Modi government on Wednesday decreed that all the Central government employees need to declare their assets and liabilities and those of their spouses and dependent children as part of the anti-corruption drive under the Act.

Barring peons and multi tasking staff, all the government staffers have to furnish details of their assets from the 31st March to 31st July every year. The deadline for the current year is 15th September.

The approximate number of the government staffers to disclose Furnishing of Information and Annual Return of Assets and Liabilities and the Limits for Exemption of Assets in Filing Returns is 23 lakhs.

To disclose assets, the employees have to fill a form declaring the possession of any sort of ‘motor vehicles, aircraft, yachts or ships, gold and silver jewelry and bullion’ owned by them or their family members.

Details of cash, bank deposits, bonds, debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund and personal loans will also be shared.

Highlights

Narendra Modi government has ordered that all the Central government employees need to declare their assets and liabilities

The staffers have to disclose not only their assets but also of their spouses and dependent children as part of the anti-corruption drive under the Act

Peons and multi tasking staff have been exempted from the formality

The time span to deposit the details of assets will date from 31st March to 31st July every year

The deadline for the current year is 15th September

Details of cash, bank deposits, bonds, debentures, shares and units in companies or mutual funds, insurance policies, provident fund and personal loans will also be shared

Code also asks ministers to avoid accepting gifts, freebies or loans that may prevent them from doing justice to their work

The officials are also told to act only in public interest

Employees may be exempt from declaring their assets only if it is not more than their four months' basic pay or Rs two lakh, whichever is more.

Just after Modi-led NDA government took charge at the Centre, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had written to all ministries to bring to their notice provisions of the rules for compliance by all employees working under them.

The strict code also requires ministers to avoid accepting gifts, freebies or loans that may prevent them from doing justice to their work.